This invention relates to a new synthetic oil and particularly, to a synthetic oil useful as basic oils (or emollient materials) and emulsions for cosmetics, detergents and medicinal preparations and a process for producing same.
Various natural fat and oil have been applied for the above uses, but are not necessarily satisfactory. Namely, the natural fat and oil have disadvantages that they undergo a large change in qualities and costs as agricultural products, it is difficult to obtain a colorless, odorless and tasteless products even with use of a high level of refining technique, and an offensive smell occurs with the lapse of time because of the double bond being present in the molecule.
Further, most of the natural fat and oil have a low viscosity of about 0.6 poises at 25.degree. C and there is only castor oil (about 6 poises, 25.degree. C) as the natural oil having relatively high viscosity. The natural fat and oil are, therefore, limited in the viscosity range. Accordingly, the natural fat and oil are unsuitable for use in basic oils or emulsions where a high viscosity is required.
Also, the natural fat and oil are, in general, not very low in a cloud point, i.e. mostly higher than -20.degree. C, and therefore, this also results in limiting the uses.
Furthermore, in case basic oils are used in cosmetics and medicinal preparations such as ointments and emulsions, the following properties are required:
(1) LESS IRRITANT EFFECT ON THE SKIN,
(2) COLORLESS, ODORLESS AND TASTELESS,
(3) NON-COLORING OR NON-RANCID WITH THE LAPSE OF TIME,
(4) GOOD FEELING IN THE SKIN, I.E. SUITABLE SPREAD, NONSTICKINESS AND GOOD AFFINITY,
(5) LOW CLOUD POINT,
(6) GOOD MISCIBILITY WITH OTHER INGREDIENTS, AND
(7) HAVING A PROPER VISCOSITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE USE. For such basic oils, olive oil, almond oil, castor oil and the like have been used, but they have the disadvantages as mentioned above.
Polyalkylene glycol and its derivatives are used as the basic oil having high viscosity, but they are quite different in the chemical structure from the sebum of the human body and therefore, not necessarily suitable for use in the cosmetics and ointments.